By 1787, the union between the states was unraveling. To save the young nation, delegates from 12 states met in Philadelphia and, with George Washington presiding, created a new form of government.

Washington's Constitution

Washington's Constitution

If James Madison was the Constitution’s chief architect, as some textbooks say, then Washington was its general contractor in that he, more than anyone, got the work done.

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5 Issues at the Convention

5 Issues at the Convention

The new nation was hanging on by a thread with a weak Articles of Confederation and growing conflicts between the states.  Without resolution on these issues the new nation would certainly be in peril.

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"I do not conceive that we can exist long as a nation without... a power which will pervade the whole union."

- George Washington, 1786

Called Back into Action

Called Back into Action

After the Revolutionary War ended, George Washington was finally able to resume the life he had missed, but a trip west that began as a business venture would give birth to an event that changed American history.

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Constitution Quiz

How well do you know the Constitution?

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Washington and Quixote

Washington and Quixote

On the last day of the Constitutional Convention, Washington purchased a copy of a literary classic that remains in Mount Vernon's collections to this day.

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President Washington

As America's first president, George Washington sought to provide stability for the new country and a strong precedent for the many generations to follow.

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